Measuring a trillionth of one second

When Sandia National Laboratory engineer Ken Condreva wanted to record critical timing signals in weapons test flights, he couldn’t find anything that worked, so he invented his own device. His invention is an integrated circuit that uses a patented "Pulse Stretcher" technique for increasing resolution of timing signals. He lengthens the duration of the output signal, making it last 64 to 200 times longer than the input signal. The process is similar to recording a sporting event with fast-action film and replaying it at slow motion to clearly see what happened. Potential applications exist in assembly and manufacturing operations, liquid-level measurement in chemical and processing plants, and collision detection and avoidance systems, according to Sandia Business Developer Scott Vaupen. He notes that the lab is seeking commercialization partners. If interested, contact him at (925) 294-2322 or sbvaupe@sandia.gov.

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